Do Us Part
by GhostWriterGertrude
Summary: Edward encounters a newborn Bella in the woods, a Bella with barely any memory and no ability to hunt. She has a gift, one that frightens him to the core of his being, and they must learn together to reconnect with their humanity and their hearts.
1. Chapter 1: Heart Beat

**Hi guys! This idea has been plaguing my mind for a while, so I'll try to type it out, and let's see where this goes. Everything belongs to the author. **

**This whole story will be in Edward's perspective, and I don't plan on changing that. Maybe an outtake?**

_**The Rose did caper on her cheek—**_

_**Her Bodice rose and fell—**_

_**Her pretty speech—like drunken men—**_

_**Did stagger pitiful—**_

**Chapter 1: Heart Beat**

I ran as far as my legs would push, exerting the pent up energy from the past week. We began high school again, my siblings and I, and in the middle of the scholastic year no less. My slightly less controlled brother, Jasper, had a slip up in our last residence. After a brief stint in the wilderness for Jasper to regain golden eyes and slightly improve his confidence, we return to the eternal purgatory of pubescent hormones and loud thoughts.

I went off on my own several hours every week, to release myself from a house of couples and their, well, coupling. Not only was it incredibly uncomfortable, what with my ability to hear every loving murmur and sound of passion, both spoken and internalized, it also reminded me of what I lacked.

The vibrant foliage was a mere blur with the pace of my run. I had spent decades contemplating my solitude. Logically, I knew both Jasper and Carlisle had sent more than my ninety years waiting for their mates. But I also knew how I differed from them so dramatically; perhaps I was incapable of giving or receiving such devotion because of it.

Carlisle had never taken a human life, he had spent centuries dedicated to the task of preserving their fragile and fleeting existence. From what I had gleaned from his mind, he had barely been tempted, his devotion to God and his enhanced compassion prevented any such demonic action.

Jasper had taken thousands, both human and vampire. He had been taught no other way than the normal way, that human blood was the only sustenance, and he had been raised as a newborn to kill. He had no control over his upbringing, and none of us even remotely blamed him for his few slip ups, which were becoming further and further apart.

I had gone searching for murder. Despite having two, wonderful "parents", I abandoned them in pursuit of death because I was the uncontrollable monster. My whole family has been adamant against that idea, but I am no fool. Vampires are unchanging creatures, and this is my nature. Mates are the only influence to change a vampire, and because of my unlovable being, I will never find a mate to tame the monster. It is a vicious circle of irony I have been doomed to dwell in, indeed.

"Edward, you are being a complete idiot," Rose called. Despite running a great distance at a much faster speed than anyone else in my family was capable of, my oldest and coldest sibling had tracked me down.

"It worries Esme when you leave, she thinks one day you won't come back," _Again_, she adds mentally, insisting on reminding me of my ocean of transgressions against my family and humankind.

"I apologize. I will return home immediately," I replied nearly apathetically.

"Whatever, Edward. I want to hunt for a while, I'll catch up with you later," Rosalie was the only member of the family who did not communicate with me mentally unless absolutely necessary. She wished to hide her deeper thoughts and feelings, they were personal and important to her, a sentiment I respected. Some things, I discovered, were meant only to be shared with one's mate. I was a constant, unwelcome intruder in my family's relationships.

I nodded my agreement and took off, leaving Rose to her devices deep into the south Canadian forests. I was now in no rush. I had no wishes to return to the house, only agreeing to appease and escape from Rose. Esme would mentally fret over me, Emmett would once again inform I just needed to bed a woman, and then provide graphic images of two faceless bodies gliding over each other, in the throes of passion. Jasper, though he never concretely thought so, would be unhappy I returned after a day free of my depressing emotions, and Alice would scan the bleak future for any sign of hope. There was none. Carlisle, it seemed, partially agreed with Emmett, but in a less crass manner. He understood that perhaps I would wish to refrain from intimacy until I was "married", or mated, such as he did. What my poor surrogate father did not seem to understand was that I would never achieve that. I _knew_ I was fated to a solitary eternity in atonement for my sins.

No, I was not really looking forward to that. I was not looking forward to another day in Forks High School, surrounded by the hormonal imaginings of my peers, teachers, and siblings alike. I nearly gagged at the reminder of what my future held. And Alice has seen no change in this routine, so I knew it to be true.

It was then, halfway between where I left Rose and our home outside of Forks, where I smelled a fresh scent that was unfamiliar to me, All vampires knew this area was claimed, and the fragrance was certainly from a vampire. Determined to peacefully settle this discretion, I followed the trail. I felt no mental presence, though, which I thought odd because I knew I was nearing the offensive vampire.

"Excuse me," I called out to the shadowed figure ;eagues away from me. The silhouette spun around and rushed to reach me, causing me to settle into a defensive stance. I still heard no thoughts, felt no presence other than the obvious physical one. She was female, I registered, before my mind went completely blank.

Female she was, and the most stunning creature I had ever seen. Her hair was dark and wild, swirling about her body like a controlled hurricane of silk and softness. Her face was obviously pale, but luminous, and her black eyes were deep and expressive.

It took me a moment, though, to register the expression in her eyes. She was feral, her pink, rosebud lips pulled over her glistening white teeth menacingly. Deep, black bruises shadowed under her eyes, darker than I had ever seen before on a vampire. Her body was covered by tattered layers of dirty clothing, and her feet were bare. She was obviously nomadic.

"Please, I mean no harm," I lifted my hands slowly, reassuringly using the international sign for peace, "I just request you do not hunt on these lands until reaching the borders of Montana."

My explanation seemed to have little effect on her countenance. She did, however, cover her teeth, removing one threat. Her mouth opened and closed in silent words, ones that I could not interpretate, and I felt even more frustrated with the silence and aggressiveness of the beauty before me.

"Hunt?" She managed to whisper in the most beautiful and melodic voice that had ever graced a being's ear.

"Yes," I replied carefully, moving out of my stance to a normal standing position, "By the colour of your eyes, you have not fed in a long time. We'd rather not have attention drawn to these areas with a massacre."

"Massacre? We? I don't understand," She looked about to cry, and I felt a deep, dull pain in my dead heart. She looked scared and oddly tired for a wild vampire, I thought it best to become as unthreatening as possible. I slowly sunk to the ground, positioning myself in the "criss- cross applesauce" sit, and gestured for her to do the same. She was still several feet away, but she complied, mirroring my motions down to the exact speed accomplished.

"May I ask your name?" I inquired politely, gently. There was something about her, other than her otherworldly beauty, which intrigued me.

"Bella Swan," There was that chiming voice again. Her name was so perfect to describe her it was nearly funny.

"I am Edward Cullen. I live in these areas with my family, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and Carlisle and Esme," I couldn't fathom why I was disclosing such information to a nomadic stranger, "We reside in Forks, where we attend school. Carlisle is a doctor."

"Oh! I go to school too!" She squeeled. While the sound was magnificent, hearing her happy filled me with strange elation, I gave her an incredulous look.

"Well, I used to. I think. I remember a fire in the woods, and I've been wandering out here since. Will you help me?" Bella, too, seemed uncomfortable telling me personal details, I didn't have to read her mind to read her body language. But then my mind registered what she had said, and my eyes widened in shock. This girl, this Bella, had obviously been a vampire for a while, yet she had either repressed killing anyone or anything, or she had remarkable and painful control.

"Do you mean to tell me that you have never fed? When was this fire you remember?" Maybe she was like Alice, her past a black hole of mystery.

"What day is it?" The fact that she didn't know what day it was troubled me, vampires have perfect internal clocks.

"The eighth of January."

"Then the fire was four months ago. I have no idea how I survived, it felt for sure that my whole body was engulfed in the flames."

_Four months_. This girl had never fed in her whole four month existence; she had not embarked on the usual newborn frenzy, and did not seem wholly out for control. It was then I felt a mental presence, Rose was actually calling out for me.

_Edward! Is something wrong? I smell someone! _She ran to us, and as Bella sensed a new vampire, she shot up into the defensive stance I was greeted with.

"Rose, it's okay. This is Bella, and she has a very interesting past," I tuned in to Rose's mind, hoping she had no plan to attack the beautiful girl. It was then I saw what she did of Bella. No longer was the brunette beauty I saw Bella to be, but a young woman that looked nearly identical to Rose. The same blonde locks and supermodel-esque physique, but this figment had tanned skin and rosy cheeks. The Rose-Bella had the same black eyes and was wearing the same tattered clothes, but it was not Bella she saw.

A gift.

**Oh, brooding Edward, how I love you so. **


	2. Chapter 2: Everyday You Play

**Back again so soon, Ghostie? Yes, yes I am. I've literally dreamt about this story line. How does it end? Only Alice knows.**

_**You are like nobody since I love you.**_

_**Let me spread you out among yellow garlands.**_

_**Who writes your name in letters of smoke among the stars of the south?**_

_**Oh let me remember you as you were before you existed.**_

**Chapter 2: Every Day You Play**

Rose's mind was a jumble of thoughts and confusion. She didn't understand how a human-like vampire Rose was standing in front of her, smelling like a new vampire, crouched defensively with wild black eyes. I didn't understand it either. I still saw my Bella- _oh_ it felt strangely wonderful to call her _mine_- with my own eyes, but Rose saw something different.

A snarl ripped through Bella's lovely pink mouth, pulling me out of my shocked state and reminding me to soothe her. She was still a newborn, after all.

"Bella, this is my sister Rosalie. I told you about her, remember?" At the mention of sister, something in her stance softened. She lifted herself to a normal standing position, and nodded her head. Her hair fanned out, her scent wafted to me, and _oh what a scent_. She smelled like flowers and reminded me of warmth and sunshine and _home_.

Rose's mind was still incoherent, I didn't see her being able to speak any time soon, so I would attempt to explain and diffuse the situation.

"Bella, do you remember anything before the fire?" Her brow wrinkled adorably in thought, trying to remember. Being so new, she shouldn't have to try this hard to remember glimpses of her human life.

"Not anything concrete! What's wrong with me? Can you help me get home?" Desperation was thick in her voice. I wanted to reassure her that everything would be fine; I wanted to let her know she could go home, even though it was impossible. I had no control on the situation, I couldn't read her. I was frightened to bring her before my family. In any other situation, they would be happy to help, but what if she had a gift that would influence everyone else as it effected Rose.

Rose was still standing beside me, staring at Bella, her mental state almost catatonic. It was honestly a first experience for me, seeing a vampire think of only one thing. I could barely think about that with this beautiful vampire with the strange powers and no real memory, I was almost in the same state.

I was scared, for once in my long, jaded existence; I was shaken to my empty core. The only possible solution I could think of was to bring her to Carlisle, to bring her to Forks, and to get her fed. We could explain to her what she was, Jasper would be able to keep her calm, and maybe Alice would be able to help see where she could go. Maybe she would want to stay, to be a "vegetarian" and stay with us. There was something in me that ached when I thought of her staying, a dull, beautiful, hopeful ache that I was completely unfamiliar with. And it made me uncomfortable.

Another problem was the reaction Rose had to her. What if everyone else in the family would see her differently from the brown beauty I perceived, they would think she was human or something? I didn't even know the definition of her gift, what it could possibly entail. I was in the dark for once.

"Please, I'm so lost. Please help me," She whimpered. My decision was made. This wonderful young woman could not be left alone, in the dark, in the middle of the forest with no guidance. I wanted to keep her close to me, and I wanted to do whatever she wanted me to do for some reason.

"Bella, can I bring you home to my family? I think we could help you," I figured giving her an option would make her feel less cornered. No matter what, she was still an unfed newborn and needed to be handled carefully. Emmett's strength would surely help in controlling her, especially if she got a whiff of a human, and in her first time hunting.

"Please, anything, please," Her black eyes were almost glistening with ghosting tears, desperate.

"Rose, we're going home. I'm going to let you come in your own time, but I may send Esme or Emmett out to get you if you're not back soon," I rubbed her arms up and down and looked into her eyes for any sign of activity. Her mind was still solely focused on Bella and her appearance, she was still in complete shock, and it was relatively alarming to see a vampire like that.

"Alright, Bella. Follow me, okay. Tell me if you can't keep up and we'll slow down," She nodded and swallowed, it didn't take an empath to tell she was nervous. I had a strange need to reach out and touch her, but I restrained myself. Not only was it completely inappropriate, I hardly knew her!, but she could react in any way with her unpredictable newborn mood swings.

I ran at a relatively slow pace, the trees no longer a blur, towards Washington, Bella trailing behind me with no problem. We were passing over borders, not encountering any human scents thank god, and soon crossed into Forks' county line. The house came into view, and Bella gasped and stopped short.

"It's beautiful," She fawned, her face softening in awe. The house _was _nice, one of Esme's best creations. It was open and bright, the opposite of our sorry existence.

"My mother for all intents and purposes, Esme, loves interior design," I said softly in a lame explanation. Nothing seemed enough, I could never say enough to her. I could hear everyone from our distance. Carlisle was home in his study, with Esme reading design magazines beside him; Alice was sewing new clothing, maybe for Rose or Esme; and Jasper and Emmett were in the basement passionately playing Black Ops, something I could never truly become interested in. Everyone but Rose and I was in there, something that worked in our favour.

"Bella, I'm afraid the rest of my family may react the same way Rosalie did. Don't be frightened, I _promise_ we _will _help you," There was something so frustrating about her silent mind and strange gifts that made me want to figure her out, that made me feel something. We continued on to the house, and met by the door by Esme. I could tell everyone else had smelled that we had a visitor. Emmett and Jasper had paused their game, and they were listening in intently. Carlisle was situated in the living room, too protective of his mate to remain further away. Alice was still in her room, still working, and she was reciting the Magna Carta in Mandarin; she quite obviously knew something.

"Bella, this is Esme," Esme smiled at me, happy I had returned home, and so hopeful that I had found someone for myself, a completely ridiculous notion. But Esme, too, saw Bella as I did. Flowing mahogany locks with light red highlights, glowing skin, and the same black eyes. The relief I felt was almost palapable, something was wrong with Rose that caused her to react like that.

"Oh, Bella, it's so nice to meet you!" Esme reached out her hand, and a growl erupted from Bella's throat. The situation escalated immediately, with Carlisle flashing to Esme's side and Emmett and Jasper rushing in front of them. It was then, all hell broke loose.

I could barely keep up with everyone's thoughts. Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle nearly entered the same state we left Rose in.

Everything was drowned in confusion. Emmett saw Rose, Jasper saw Alice, and Carlisle saw Esme, but it wasn't their mates' smell. It was Bella's. As is our natural reaction to most tense issues, the men in my family crouched into a defensive state. I, too, sunk into one next to Bella, something in me needing to protect her. I was just so intrigued in her gifts.

It was then Alice deigned to appear. She skipped right between Emmett and Jasper, and Bella and I. She put her hands on her hips and stared at us in seeming exasperation.

"Seriously, give up the weird faux-testosterone cock-off, you're scaring Bella," Alice was right, Bella was more tense than ever, and her eyes were flashing from person to person. Alice perceived Bella the same way as Esme and I, but that was the only glimpse I was allowed into Alice's mind.

Was it a male-exclusive reaction? No, Rose saw her human self in Bella. I had no clue what her gift could be.

My brothers and father stood upright, looking very uncomfortable, and Esme was completely confused. She had been so happy earlier, but now she thought maybe they all knew Bella, and that she had committed some crime against them, though she couldn't fathom what.

"Now, let's all go sit in the living room and allow Bella an explanation. She deserves that much after how you all just greeted her," Alice reached out for Bella's hand, and I went to stop her, that action being what started the whole confrontation, but Bella seemed too shocked to react. Alice pulled Bella inside, and everyone else shuffled in after them.

Jasper and Carlisle were the most concerned, seeing double of their mate; one with the familiar scent and one without was very disturbing. Emmett was considering Rose having a twin sister she didn't remember.

_What're the odds, right Eddie?_ He grimaced at me, still managing a joke in usual Emmett fashion.

**Was that too hard to follow? It's also kind of short, sorry, I'm in my summer semester and I have a lot of homework and MCATs. Does anyone have a guess on Bella's gift? 100 points to anyone who can guess!**


	3. Chapter 3: Senza Tema D'Infamia

**(I've noticed a fair bit of international readers! I would be happy to translate my stories into German, French, Italian, Swiss-German, Swiss-French, or Spanish. I could use it as work for my Linguistics major, and I speak all of these fluently with the exception of the Swiss dialects. Just let me know so I can get cracking!)**

**Ghostie's back, bitches. What's the difference between uncover and discover? Think on it. **

_**Do I dare **_

_**Disturb the universe? **_

_**In a minute there is time **_

_**For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.**_

**Chapter 2: Senza Tema D'Infamia**

It was strange to see the entirety of the Cullen family sitting together in the living room, fidgeting and all. Perhaps this is what we'd look like if we were human, except Carlisle would maybe have hair graying around the temples, and Esme would have little crow's feet from how she always smiled. It was a warming visual that quickly dissipated as the room settled.

Bella and I were sitting on the loveseat, close but not touching, and the small distance was oddly electrifying. I pulled myself away from the feeling, attempting to remain as calm as possible for Jasper's sake. He seemed to be losing his mind, everyone else's feeling simply amplified his own, and he could no longer control his gift, something that only happened in the throes of passion and when he was a newborn.

I evaluated each family member. Carlisle had closed his eyes to block out seeing double, and reassured himself by holding Esme close on the couch. Alice was visualizing the Hindi sign language version of nursery rhymes, a sign that once again, Alice knew all. Jasper grasped on to Alice to the point I was almost worried for her safety.

Emmett needed Rose to anchor him. It was a wonderful thing to see, how mates could ground each other with a light touch or just a quick meeting of the eyes. I truly hoed Rose would return quickly, for Emmett's sake. He was crazy enough already, no need to amplify that.

"What's happening, Edward? I don't understand," Bella had been quiet thus far, but the distress in her voice was clear. Through Carlisle's mind, which was the most calm besides Esme's, I heard Bella's voice, not Esme's. So they only _saw_ their mates in Bella, not heard. Great.

"Why doesn't everyone do as Carlisle and close their eyes," Alice suggested, "Not you, Esme, you're just fine." Esme patted Alice's hand, smiling weakly at me.

"Why don't you tell my family what you told me, and we'll figure everything out, okay Bella?" Her name tasted sweet on my lips, as fulfilling as draining a mountain lion. Her black eyes gazed into mind, and I saw she wanted to ask a question, or many, but she turned to the rest of my family. So brave.

"I live in Phoenix," She must have been tan before, "But my mom and I went on vacation somewhere north. I think someone set me on fire, and I couldn't find my way back." Everyone was stunned. Bella had barely any memory of anything, her human life or otherwise, and she had no appearance of knowing her true nature.

Carlisle carefully opened his eyes and studied the quasi-Esme that was Bella. He took particular notice of her eyes, her deep, glittering black eyes, and realized she was not a recent newborn.

_Edward. I don't understand._ An alarming thought coming from Carlisle, with centuries of knowledge, I thought for sure he would know what was happening. The red had melted from her eyes, now black with unrecognized hunger, and it worried me more than her gift. If she didn't feed, which she seemed to have no desire to, she would slowly deteriorate into a death-like weakness, and I would never discover why I couldn't see into her mind.

"Bella, do you feel any discomfort at all? Any burning sensations?" I questioned, unable to resist saying her name again. She lightly cleared her throat and wrinkled her brow, signal enough that her throat was burning.

"My throat feels kind of dry, but it's not bad. Do you think I could have some water?" She looked up at me with those lovely black eyes and I almost did her bidding and fetched water.

"Just a little? How long have you been wandering in the forest?" This was Jasper, his curiosity piqued over his intense frustration and discomfort. Jasper was an expert in newborn behaviour, and Bella was not complying to the set of actions he had always applied to the youngest of our kind.

"Since the beginning of January," I whispered, looking down at the little vampire, her beautiful hair forming a halo. Esme gasped, and Carlisle stood.

"She needs to hunt right now," Emmett said, his first contribution to the conversation.

"Hunt? Oh, no thank you. I'm a vegetarian," I couldn't believe she was so sure about a minute detail.

"So are we," Emmett gave a dimpled grin, mismatched with his agitated mental state. I couldn't believe he was making a joke at a time like this, and Bella's confusion just heightened.

"Don't you think we should explain first, you big oaf," Alice commented lightly. Her mind was still closed to me, and I would be impressed by her increasing skill at keeping me out if it wasn't so frustrating. I agreed wholeheartedly with Alice, we couldn't just assume her instincts would take over. At this point, if they hadn't, they most likely wouldn't.

"Explain what?" The frustration leaked out of her musical voice. I empathized, being completely lost in a multi-sided conversation was something I had yet to experience, but I had a feeling Alice and Bella would give me one in the future. If Bella stuck around.

"There's a very long story here, honey," Esme smiled kindly at Bella, probably the most reassuring presence in the room at the moment. My brothers still had their eyes closed, and Jasper was so still he actually looked physically uncomfortable. I was really hoping Rose would return soon to help with Emmett.

"Do you remember any horror stories?" I dared broach the subject first, carefully looking into Bella's eyes.

"What, like Dracula and the Loch Ness Monster?" Her brow and nose crinkled again, it was her thinking face.

"Some of them are real," I wanted to take this very slowly, allow her to truly grasp all aspects of the vampire before confirming she was one.

"C'mon," She snorted incredulously, an action I found ridiculously adorable (_shut it Edward_), "You're telling me there's a giant snake in a lake in Ireland?"

"Scotland, actually," Emmett interjected happily, until my chest rumbled and he leaned back, the smile wiped off his face. _What's happening to me._

"Well, maybe not that. But vampires and a few others, yes," No need to go into detail on werewolves and shapeshifters and other creatures yet undiscovered.

"You guys are delusional," She sighed, her shoulders hunching. I saw her eyes dart to the nearest exit, the glass door, and anticipated her next move before she even thought of it. When she flashed up to leave, I was already in front of her. I couldn't let her leave letting her think I was crazy, and before knowing the secrets of her mind. She couldn't go before I broke through her silent thoughts.

"Did you notice how fast we moved just now?" I needed to be gentle with her. She glanced around, panic clear in her eyes. It was then Jasper released a wave of calm, finally assisting. Bella's breathing evened out as she felt the effects, but her brow wrinkled in thought again. She slowly moved to sit down again, with me kneeling beside her. It was then Rose burst through the door, startling Bella to the point of dashing to the corner and curling up.

Emmett rushed to his Rose, smelling her, feeling her, his mind relieved in finally seeing his real mate. But then he looked over to Bella, and back at his Rose. His thoughts turned dirty, and I couldn't help the growl that rumbled in my chest.

_Sorry_, he shrugged, a sheepish smile plastered on his face, the visuals still making a quick loop in the back of his mind.

_I've growled at them twice. What's going on?_

I shoved my worries away to focus on Bella, huddled in the corner of the room, watching us all, and breathing so fast she would pass out if she could. When I approached her, she curled into herself tighter, hugging her knees to her chest and looking to the door again. I immediately stopped, and sat down. We were at that point again, it seemed.

**Meh, it's short, I know. I just really wanted to update before anyone lost interest. Please review unless it's super mean!**


	4. Chapter 4 SORRY

Hi guys, I'm really sorry, but I can't write anymore, and I thought I'd offer an explanation.

My boyfriend was raped. I have to help him right now, with the trial and therapy and everything. A woman was frustrated with his lack of attention. He's really shy, he blushes at everything. I had to make the first move two years ago and ask him out, and kiss him. So this woman spiked his drink with roofies and took advantage of him against his will. It's on video, and this woman will be prosecuted, but my poor, sweet, innocent boyfriend is severely scarred right now. I know that's a lot of personal information, but I thought since this is anonymous and everyone here is really nice, you deserved a proper explanation. Again, I'm really sorry, but please understand.


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